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Charity-A-Day: Environment

(The Spokesman-Review)
(The Spokesman-Review)

Everyone seems to be going green these days, so here are some great ways to join in on the fun and help the planet out.

The Trust for Public Land: TPL is a nation-wide, nonprofit charity that seeks to conserve land for people. They are dedicated to ensuring the preservation and creation of parks, farmlands, natural lands, historical sites, costal areas, and waterways. There aren't many volunteer opportunities, but donations are always welcome. They also offer a handful of "Shop&Support" options for those who would rather help by buying clothes or CDs.
www.tpl.org

Rainforest Action National:  RAN is an international organization bent on preserving our remaining rainforests and making the world safe and secure for future generations. They focus primarily on breaking our addictions to oil and coal by encouraging companies and corporations to go green. The closest chapter is in Seattle, but forming your own school-wide or community-wide chapter is happily offered as an option for those looking to offer a hand.
www.ran.org

Conservation International: CI is a high-ranking charity that promotes global respect, both for other people and for nature. Like RAN, they want to secure an environmentally safe future for us all. Their main strategies include saving species to preserve biological diversity, conserving landscapes and seascapes, empowering local communities with the knowledge and ability to help save the planet, and promoting awareness of "conservation ethic." There are a number of campaigns you can get involved in, though as with TPL actuall volunteer options are limitied.
www.conservation.org

The Student Conservation Association: SCA is "America's conservation corps," specifically providing jobs and volunteer opportunities to high school and college students. This hands-on organization focuses on building trails, cleaning rivers, and restoring habitats in state and national parks. Weekend and summer programs are available for high school students, and internships and corps memberships are available for those 18 and older.
www.thesca.org

This site also has an extensive list of other top-ranked charities: www.charitywatch.org/toprated.html#enviro

Now get out there and go green!

In 2006, then-editor Steve Smith of The Spokesman-Review had the idea of starting a publication for an often forgotten audience: teenagers. The Vox Box was a continuation of the Vox, an all-student staffed newspaper published by The Spokesman-Review. High school student journalists who staffed the Vox made all content decisions as they learn about the trade of journalism. This blog's mission was to give students an opportunity to publish their voices. The Vox Box and the Vox wrapped up in June 2009, but you can follow former staffers' new blog at http://voxxiez.blogspot.com.